Wheel straightening apparatus



March 3, 1936 v F. M. NIMCHECK WHEEL STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS Filed June 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 1936- F. M. NIMCHECK WHEEL STRAIGHTENING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed. June 20, 1955 Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNETE STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 20,

'1 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus designed to straighten and true metallic wheels and their hubs or brake drum sections, particularly, but not necessarily of automobiles.

It is aimed to provide a novel apparatus wherein the object mentioned may be accomplished expeditiously and preferably through the use of a hand operable jack.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from 'a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:-

Figure l is a view in elevation of the improved apparatus;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary substantially central vertical sectional view showing a wheel being straightened;

Figure 3 is a view substantially similar to Figure 2 but showing a hub and brake drum section being straightened Figure 4 is an enlarged elevation of the supporting section;

Figure 5 is an elevation of said supporting section taken at a right angle to Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a substantially central, enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the supporting section;

Figure 7 is a detail section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the cap plate;

Figure 9 is an edge view partly broken away of said cap plate, and

Figure 10 is a plan view of the supplemental central screw-threaded opening in which a clamping screw rod i5 is screw-threaded for raising and lowering according to the direction of turning of the wheel or nut l4. As well as being operable by hand, the wheel l4 may be operated by power, for instance, by a conventional lever arrangement l6 having a pawl ll pivoted thereto at I8 and adapted to successively engage and push ratchet teeth It! provided continuously about the wheel l4 in its upper surface.

The work to be straightened, for instance, a

1935, Serial No. 27,585

wire-spoked or other metallic wheel 23, as used on automobiles, or the brake drum and hub section of that wheel as designated 2| is adapted to be supported on a cap plate 22, which extends partly into the work as shown, that is, either the wheel 20 in Figure-2 or the section 2i in Figure 3. Such cap plate has a depending annular flange 23 whereby it is removably disposed at the top of a supporting pillar 24, the wheel 20 being clamped to the cap plate 22' by a plate 25 removably in- 10 terposed between the wheel and clamp screw i5 as shown in Figure 2. In the case of the section 2 l, as in Figure 3, the same is removably clamped to the cap plate by a plate 26 usually somewhat smaller than the plate 25, and removably interposed between the section 2| and the clamping screw I5. I

Said pillar 24 includes a lower open portion or cage 25 traversed at the lower end by a removable plate or bridge 2-6, for instance screwed in place at 2'1. Cage portion removably but snugly fits a recess 44 in bar II and a flange 45 on the cage rests on said bar I l. Slidable along the pillar is a gauge plate 28, the same having a hub 29 intimately fitting the pillaran'd engaged at 25 the lower edge-by a pair of rods 30, slidably passing through openings 3| in the cage 25 and carried by a cross-head 32 to which they may be screwed as at 33, said crosshead 32 has the upper end of a screw shaft 34 removably journaled or swiveled in the same as by a reduced portion 35 on the screw, and a nut 36 threaded into that reduced portion. Screw 34 is preferably operable by a hand wheel 31. The bridge piece 26, as best shown in Figure '7, is preferably of skeleton form 35 using cross bars or portions 38 for maximum strength.

Presuming a wheel 20 positioned as in Figures 1 and 2, for straightening, the straightening is effected by the manual operation of a conven- 40 tional jack 39, as shown in Figure 1, preferably disposed at a slight angle, in engagement with the frame portion l2 at the top, and the rim of the wheel at the bottom. This jack is of the type usually used for the raising of automobile wheels. As one portion of the rim of the wheel 20 is straightened, the parts may be loosened and another portion brought into position for straightening. In order to gauge the wheel to see if it is true or straight, incidental to the use of the jack, the gauge plate 28, .is raised into contact with the relatively lower edge of the rim of the wheel in Figure 2, through the operation of the screw 34.

It will be noted that the gauge plate 28 has 5 a depression as at 40. Such depression is too large to engage the straightness or trueness of the relatively lower edge of the section 2|, as in Figure 3, and in this connection, a supplemental gauge plate 4| is removably applied over the pillar 24 resting in a groove 42 of the gauge plate 28, with its upper surface flush with that of the gauge plate 28. The supplemental gauge plate 4| is preferably reinforced by ribs 43. In the testing or gauging of the section 2|,the supplemental gauge plate 4| is raised, through the raising of the gauge plate 28, into contact with the relatively lower edge of the section 2|. -Itwill be realized that the jack is applied to any suitable gauge portion or portions of the section 2| as shown in Figure 3 in straighteningnthe vention.

What is claimed is:-

1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a pillar, a cap plate on said pillar to support an article to be straightened, means to clamp the article to the cap plate, and a gauge for the article movable along the pillar;

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a pillar, a cap plate on said pillar to support an article to be straightened, means toclamp the article to the cap plate, a gauge for the article movable along the pillar, said cap plate having a depending flange telescoped over the pillar, and means operable to raise and lower the gauge plate along the pillar.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a pillar, a cap plate on said pillar to support an article to be straightened, means to clamp the article to the cap plate, a gauge for the article movable along the pillar, said pillar having a cage portion including a bridge, a screw operable in said bridge, a rod slidable in the cage portion engaging the lower portion of the gauge plate, and means operatively connecting the rod to the screw.

4. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a pillar, a cap plate on said pillar to support ,thelin an article to be straightened, means to clamp the article to the cap plate, a gauge for the article movable along the pillar, said gauge plate having a central depression in its upper portion to accommodate the work, and a supplemental gauge plate to accommodate smaller work than the first mentioned gauge plate, the supplemental gauge plate surrounding the pillar and being removably disposed in the depression.

5. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a pillar, a cap plate on said pillar to support an article to be straightened, means to clamp the article to the cap plate, a gauge for the article movable along the pillar, said gauge plate having a central depression in its upper portion to accommodate the work, a supplemental gauge plate to accommodate smaller work than the first i mentioned gauge plate, the supplemental gauge plate surrounding the pillar and being removably disposed in the depression, the first mentioned gauge plate having a groove above said depression receiving the supplemental gauge plate with the upper surfaces of both gauge plates substantially flush.

6. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a pillar, a cap plate on said pillar to support an article to be straightened, means to clamp the article to the cap plate, a gauge for the article movable along the pillar, a frame mounting said pillar, said clamping means being a screw, a nut swiveled on the frame and in screw-threaded engagement with said screw operable to raise and lower the screw.

7. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a pillar, a cap plate on said pillar to support an article to be straightened, means to clamp the article to the cap plate, a gauge for the article movable along the pillar, a frame mounting said pillar, said clamping means being a screw, a nut swiveled on the frame and in screw-threaded en gagement with said screw operable to raise and lower the screw, said frame having a recess, and said pillarhaving a cage disposed in said recess, and a flange about said cage resting on the frame about the recess.

FRANK M. NIMCHECK. 

